“Yesterday
the committee heard from Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen about the many
challenges faced by the Department of Defense and how the fiscal year 2012
budget will allow the United States to meet these challenges. The issues they laid out fell into two broad
categories: threats we face abroad, and difficulties we face here at home –
including the economic challenges and enormous budget pressures our country
faces.

“Today the
committee will hear from the leaders of the Air Force about their portion of
the budget and how it impacts the Air Force today and in the future.

“Overall the
Air Force request looks good, but it must be looked at in the context of the
many pressures the Air Forces faces.
Like all the services, the Air Force is under significant strain as it
attempts to both meet today’s requirements and prepare for tomorrow.
Additionally, we must review this budget proposal in the broader context of our
overall federal budget challenges and be sure that every taxpayer dollar spent
is spent wisely and effectively.

“While it is
commonly said that the nation has been at war since September 11, 2001, the Air
Force has in fact been involved in constant combat operations since Operation
Desert Shield in late 1990.

“Success
during this challenging 20-year period for the Air Force has, however, come at
a cost.

“The first
cost is the impact on our Airmen and their families. Lengthy and constant deployments place stress
on families that few Americans outside the military family can truly
appreciate. Even when not deployed, our
Airmen conduct difficult and dangerous work every day here at home, keeping
aircraft flying, our nuclear deterrent strong, and vital satellite systems up
and running.

“As a
result, in past years this committee has focused closely on pay, benefits, and
family support programs. The committee
must fully understand the impact of the 2012 budget request on the more than
690,000 military and civilian members of the Air Force.

“The second
impact on the Air Force of two decades of combat is the stress and wear on the
aircraft and other equipment that the Air Force relies on to accomplish its
missions.

“No matter
how efficient we are in terms of maintenance and logistics, at some point
mounting flight hours on aircraft has an impact, and today’s operations are
especially harsh on our airlift, ISR, and fighter aircraft.

“While our
aircraft are by and large performing well, the current operational pace is
creating a future bill the Air Force may have to pay in the form of increased
reset and replacement costs as aircraft wear out.

“In his
testimony yesterday, Secretary Gates cited this mounting future cost of
recapitalizing the Air Force as a significant issue. I share his concern.

“A final
impact is found in readiness. While
there is no doubt the Air Force of today excels at providing global logistics,
ISR support, and close air support to ground forces, the focus on these
critical tasks has come at the expense of training and readiness for other
missions.

“The risk of
this focus on current operations is likely manageable, but there must be a
constant dialogue between Air Force leaders and Congress to ensure that
sufficient resources are made available to the Air Force to prepare for
tomorrow’s conflicts as well as today’s.

“As the
committee proceeds with its consideration of the Air Force’s budget request, it
is my hope that we can understand how this request will help deal with these
three broad areas of stress on the Air Force, and how it positions the Air
Force for the future.”